Marking Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

The upcoming Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week will be recognised a little differently this year, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved and show respect. Sorry Day, held on May 26 each year, is an annual day of remembrance to acknowledge the pain and injustice experienced by members of the stolen generation. National Reconciliation Week starts the following day from May 27 to June 3.

Mount Alexander Shire Council usually hosts an event to commemorate Sorry Day, however due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, will take to social media to mark the occasion. Council’s inclusive communities coordinator Sharna Cropley said whilst we can’t be physically together to show respect, we can show respect publically via social media and privately on the Country where we are. “Every one of us has a role to play in reconciliation, and by all of us playing our part, we can collectively build relationships and communities that value, recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their cultures and their histories,” Ms Cropley said.

Throughout Reconciliation Week Council will share interesting links on their Facebook page, showcasing some of the work of their partners including videos from our local Elders, as well as flying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait island flags proudly from our historic Market Building. The theme for the 2020 National Reconciliation Week is ‘In this Together’. This theme was announced last year, but is now resonating in ways that were not foreseeable at the time.

“It is a reminder for all of us that like with reconciliation, in times of crisis, we are all in this together,” Ms Cropley said. “We encourage everyone to acknowledge this important week in their own special way and look out for the many virtual events happening online.” Enjoy Indigenous films and videos from our region and across Australia through the Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival. Now in its fourth year, the film festival will be hosted online in 2020, with plenty of options to choose from. The program will be available at www.bendigo.vic.gov.au. There are also many other virtual events happening around the country. Find details at https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/.

This year also marks the twentieth anniversary of the Reconciliation Walks in 2000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation and show their support for a more reconciled and inclusive Australia.